The role of portraits in modern life

A portrait can be a representation of a real or imaginary person, expressed as a piece of music, photograph or as a picture. Throughout the history of visual art, the portrait has evolved through many stages. If, in the early days of our artistic era, the portrait was often used simply as a way to represent the subject, it has now evolved to fulfil many roles and sources of inspiration.
Whatever the subject might be, the portrait attempts to reveal the true expression of the face, to capture the emotion of the moment, which otherwise would be lost forever. The subject reveals their true self to the artist, almost as if naked, and reveals the most intimate parts of their soul to he scrutiny of the artist.

Julien – Brno Del Zou

But does a portrait still reveal the true personality of it’s subject? Nothing could be less certain ! In fact, what could be easier than to hide one’s true identity behind a mask ? The face is normally the most visible part of the human body, but paradoxically the most mysterious. It can project a feeling of honesty about the inner feelings of the subject, while hiding the true sentiments of the subject.

Takéo II – Etienne Cail

If this technique is used by the subject to hide true emotion, it can be very subtle. Actually very simple to detect, it needs close communication, and a rapport with the subject to allow them to feel at ease to express their true feelings. It is essential to communicate with the subject and understand their feelings to allow them to express their true feelings and state of mind. The artist must not only take account of the physical appearance of the subject, but also his mood and character. The backdrop, lighting, colours, the technique used, are just some of the considerations which will create a portrait which communicates direstly with the viewer.

Artsper presents for you HERE a selection of artists who truly understand their subjects and reveal a part of their soul.

Vintage Vanity